The Worst Question a Salesperson Can Ask - Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson | 8:06 AM October 7, 2011 This post, the second in a four-part series, is also part of the HBR Insight Center Growing the Top Line. “What’s keeping you up at night?” This one question is probably asked by more sales people in a given day than any other. To understand what makes this question so destructive, we need to first understand where it comes from. As a result, companies have poured money into teaching their reps to ask better questions. But what if customers don’t know what they need? In our previous post we described a type of rep we call a Challenger. What does this sound like in practice? Today, a conversation with a Grainger rep is very different. No supplier wants to be in the business of free consulting — and Grainger is no different. These conversations aren’t happenstance. Done well, this sort of sales approach creates a powerfully differentiated interaction for customers because it leads with insight, not tiresome questions.
Corn on the Job — Wisdom for Job Seekers The George Costanza Approach to Fixing Fatal Flaws - Scott Edinger by Scott Edinger | 11:23 AM October 25, 2011 In my work on leadership development, the first thing I usually advise is to look past your flaws to your strengths, since no one becomes an extraordinary leader by becoming flawless. You become a great leader, our research shows, by having strengths so profound people forgive, if not completely overlook, your faults. But about 20% of the time, I encounter a person whose flaws are so deep that no strengths can make up for them. I’m not talking about run-of-the-mill, we’re-all-human, flaws. This sounds dire — and it is, if unaddressed. It’s so simple, in fact, that we can take a page from my favorite Seinfeld character, George Costanza, a man with hilarious and obvious fatal flaws. This is not quite as far-fetched as it seems. Here are some specific examples of “doing the opposite” for some of the most common fatal flaws I’ve encountered with leaders. These are broad examples, but you get the idea.
Instructional Designer (eLearning) in Atlanta, GA TrainingFolks is looking for an Instructional Designer for a contract opportunity in the Atlanta, GA area. About TrainingFolks: TrainingFolks is a global provider of custom learning solutions, consulting and contingent workforce services. Combining award winning adult learning experience, with a proven engagement methodology that includes a talented network of learning professionals, TrainingFolks collaborates with our clients to implement change. Founded in 1997, TrainingFolks’ mission is to build a higher performing work-force. We address our client’s issues of urgency, capacity and capability. Instructional Designer - Role Description: The Instructional Designer will design and develop instructional material for internal and field related training to support the company’s core business functions, which include sales training, leadership training and internal functional training. The Instructional Designer will be required to: The ideal Instructional Designer should possess: Location:
The Secret to Dealing With Difficult People: It's About You - Tony Schwartz by Tony Schwartz | 7:51 AM October 12, 2011 Do you have someone at work who consistently triggers you? Doesn’t listen? Takes credit for work you’ve done? Our core emotional need is to feel valued and valuable. This is especially true when the person you’re struggling with is your boss. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Lord Acton said way back in 1887. The easy default when we feel devalued is to the role of victim, and it’s a seductive pull. The problem with being a victim is that you cede the power to influence your circumstances. Each of us has a default lens through which we see the world. The Lens of Realistic Optimism. Making this distinction allows you to stand outside your experience, rather than simply reacting to it. Realistic optimism, a term coined by the psychologist Sandra Schneider, means telling yourself the most hopeful and empowering story about a given circumstance without subverting the facts. The Reverse Lens. The Long Lens.
Frequently Asked Questions >>>See the U.S. Department of Education's Q&A about Income-Based Repayment (IBR)<<< >>>Visit the U.S. Department of Education's web page on Pay As You Earn<<< >>>See the U.S. General IBR Questions General Pay As You Earn Questions Loan Consolidation Questions Loan Forgiveness Questions General Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Questions Who can use Income-Based Repayment (IBR)? How do I apply for IBR? Who is my lender? Can I use IBR to pay off older federal loans? Can I use IBR to pay off private, non-federal loans? Can I use IBR if I am in default on my federal loans? How does IBR treat interest? What if I choose IBR and later decide to switch to a different plan? What is a "partial financial hardship"? What’s the difference between Income-Based Repayment (IBR) and Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR)? Are there any down-sides to IBR? What happens when my income increases while I'm in IBR? Will IBR hurt my credit rating? My loan has been sold or reassigned. General Pay As You Earn Questions Who is my lender? No.
Four Ways Women Stunt Their Careers Unintentionally - Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt by Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt | 10:30 AM October 19, 2011 Having combed through more than a thousand 360-degree performance assessments conducted in recent years, we’ve found, by a wide margin, that the primary criticism men have about their female colleagues is that the women they work with seem to exhibit low self-confidence. Our gut says that this may partly be a perception issue — we’ve observed that men sometimes interpret (or misinterpret) an inclination in women to share credit or defer judgment as a lack of confidence. Still, perception or not, there is some research to suggest that women themselves feel less self-assured at work than men. Men were more confident across all age groups, with 70% of males having high or very high levels of self-confidence, compared to 50% of the women surveyed. Not asking. “I was surprised to see my name not included on the promotion list,” Sharon said to him. Blending in. Remaining silent.
Nonprofit Jobs, Non Profit Employment | Opportunity Knocks America: Excelling at Mediocrity - Umair Haque by Umair Haque | 2:26 PM October 28, 2011 Recently, I’ve been around the world and then back to the US of A. And what strikes me is how fast many parts of the globe are forging ahead — and how decrepit coming home can feel in comparison (JFK airport, I’m looking at you). It’s got me wondering: what is America still the best at? Consider this thought experiment. If you were really, really, really rich — say, not just part of the routinely opulent 1%, but a card-carrying member of the eye-poppingly decadent .01% — what part of your life would be American? How did we get here? The mightiest adversary that snaps great empires like twigs isn’t chimerical “globalization” — it’s glittering hubris, bedecked in the finery of denial. If, as I’ve argued, we’ve got a bad case of Reality Deficit Disorder, then it might be time for a gentle reality check. Let me be clear. NB — No, I don’t “hate America”, so please don’t get defensive.
Scared Of Public Speaking? 3 Quick Tips To Conquer Your Fear In business, irrational fears encompass everything from fear of rejection, fear of authority, and fear of criticism to fear of failure and even fear of success. Such fears keep us from being able to “just figure things out” and making the flip that can propel us in a good direction. Let me tell you a story to illustrate this point. A good friend of mine, Tom, is one of the most talented sports agents in his business. Unfortunately, Tom suffers from one of the business world’s most common irrational fears, a fear of public speaking. On the surface, when you see Tom, this makes no sense. To balance his scale, one that was tilting heavily in favor of fear, I gave Tom a positive variable for every negative fear. Tom had three primary negative fears: (1) that people were judging him, (2) that he needed to be perfect, (3) that he would freeze and get stuck. Negative fear: Everyone is judging me. The advice helped, and Tom seemed more relaxed on stage. [Image: Flickr user Nickb_Rock]
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